Why Does Life Have to be so Difficult?
by Rockyrocks919
Summary: Bella, an adopted seventeen year old girl, and her dad Charlie move to Forks, Washington to learn more about Bella's birth family.  When they get there, Bella falls in love with Edward Cullen, but everything changes when Bella finds out she's a werewolf.
1. Prologue

This story was inspired by a dream I had one night where Bella turned into a wolf. Well, now I developed the idea into a story and here it is! In the prologue, Bella is only five, but in the rest of the story she'll be seventeen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

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Bella's POV

"Bella. Bella, sweetie, it's time to wake up." Someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes to see Ms. Darla looking down at me with a smile on her face. "Sweetheart, someone is intersted in adopting you. It's a very nice young couple and they seem very interested."

I'd always dreamed of having a family; I had one once, but my parents had died when I was a baby and I didn't remember them. The fact that people were interested in me didn't make me hopeful any more as it used to. I'd been here for five years now and tons of people said they were interested in me, but after meeting me they changed their minds. I wasn't sure what it was about me that was so unappealing.

I sat up in bed and nodded as I headed for my tiny closet. Ms. Darla helped me look through it for an appropriate outfit. She was like a mother to me and she always reassured me that all those people who didn't like me were nuts. She'd also told me that she would adopt me if she could, the only problem was money. Ms. Darla was poor and had to live at the orphanage with us. She acted as our nanny and in return had food some where to sleep, and a small salary.

"Oh, this is just adorable!" Ms. Darla said as she pulled out a bright pink frilly dress. I made a face and she laughed. "All right, fine. I'll find something else."

But I already knew what I wanted, so I dug through the piles of hand me down dresses Ms. Darla had brought me from different charities and pulled out my favorite striped light blue shirt and my nicest pair of blue jeans. I showed and she smiled approvingly. I took the next few minutes getting dressed and then putting on my worn out, dirty tennis shoes. Then, put my hair up in a white ribbon.

"Ms. Darla," I said as we were walking downstairs. "Do you think they'll like me?"

"Bella, I honestly don't see why they wouldn't. And besides, these people seem more interested than the others. I've got a feeling that, even if this couple isn't going to adopt you, you're going to have a new family soon." I wasn't sure how to answer, but I hoped she was right.

"Aw, just look at her!" I heard a woman say when we finally made it down the stairs and I just looked down at the ground. "Charlie, isn't she just the cutest? Hi, Bella. I'm going to be your new mommy."

"Renée," a man said. "I don't think you should-"

"Charlie, this is our new daughter! I just know it! Come here, sweetheart. I won't hurt you." I felt Ms. Darla prodding my back.

"Go on, Bella," she told me, then turned nervously to the couple when I didn't move. "She's just shy; please don't take it personally."

"No, it's all right," Renée said. "Let Bella take her time. We're not in a rush." I was surprised by her attitude; most people were turned off by my shyness, but Renée didn't seem to mind. In fact, if anything, it seemed to make her more interested in me.

I looked up at her and imagined her as a mother-_my _mother. She was young, sure, probably only twenty years old, but she somehow already seemed like a mother to me. This woman I'd just met had understood that I was shy and accepted it. I was overcome with the sudden urge to hug her and I did. My arms wrapped around her legs and before I knew it she was holding me in her arms.

Normally, I would never tolerate being held by someone I didn't even know, but Renée was different somehow. I knew nothing about her, yet I already loved her. Being held by her made me feel like I belonged some where-like I was part of a family.

"My, my, my," Ms. Darla said. "Look at that! She's never been this comfortable around anyone! Especially someone she just met!"

Charlie chuckled. "Can I hold her?"

"I'm not sure if that's such a great idea," warned as Renée was passing me to Charlie, but I reached for him. I'm not sure what came over me, but out of all the people that had been interested in adopting me, I felt the most comfortable around them. Charlie took me into his arms and started rubbing my back soothingly.

"Bella Swan," he muttered. "That sounds nice."

"It does," Ms. Darla said. I could tell she was still shocked that I'd clung to them so quickly. "So I'm guessing you two want to adopt her?"

"Yes," Charlie and Renée said at the exact same time.

"Oh, this is great! I've waited five years for this- five years! She's a very special little girl, a decendant from the Quileutes, in fact. That's a small tribe up in La Push, Washington in case you didn't know."

"She's all the way from Washington?" Renée asked and nodded. "What's she doing in Phoenix then?"

"It's an interesting story, really. I was getting ready to go to bed late one night when I heard the doorbell ring. When I answered, there was baby Bella inside a carrier. There was a note attatched that said: _Her parents died. She's a decendent of the Quileutes in La Push, Washington. Please keep her safe._ That was it. They didn't even tell us her name; we came up with Bella ourselves. It's short for Isabella."

"That's strange," Renée said. "They tell you where she came from, but not even her name?"

Charlie shrugged. "Maybe she didn't have a name yet. She was just a baby, after all. They might want Bella to know where she's from so she can learn more about her parents when she's older."

"But wouldn't it have been easier to just leave the names of her parents?" Renée asked.

"I tried contacting people down at La Push, but everyone has told me that they hadn't heard anything about a couple dying and leaving a baby girl behind."

"How odd," Charlie said. "Well, as she gets older, we'll do everything in our power to find out about her family. Maybe, if she wants to that is, we'll even move up to Washington. Whatever it takes, we _will_ solve this."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Ms. Darla said with a smile. "All right. Now who's ready for lunch?"

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I know that wasn't a very good ending to the prologue, but I couldn't figure out where to stop. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think so far. Thanks! :D Oh and check out my other stories!


	2. The Big Move

In this chapter, you find out why Bella and Charlie are moving to Forks for senior year instead of waiting until she got out of college. Oh and thank you to my reviewers! There aren't many, but those of you who did review are awesome! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

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Bella's POV

_"Your turn, Bella," my best friend Katie told me and I looked down at the checker board for my next move. I was about to move one of the pieces when the phone rang._

_"I'll get it!" I yelled and ran for the kitchen. I picked up the phone and put it to my ear. "Swan residence."_

_"Are you in relation to a Renée Swan?"_

_"Yes ma'am, this is her daughter. May I ask who I'm speaking to?"_

_"Hello, this is Tracy Burwith from Playson Hospital. There is a bit of an emergency with Mrs. Swan. She-"_

_"Emergency?" My parents had taught me not to interrupt someone when they're talking, but all manners flew out the window in this kind of situation. "What kind of emergency? Is she all right?"_

_"I'm sorry to tell you this, but she was attacked by some kind of animal and she lost a lot of blood. She might not make it through the night." I felt tears rushing down my face. She'd left the house a few hours ago to go hiking._

_"We'll do everything we can to keep her alive, but I suggest you come here now because the odds of that aren't too great." I hung up the phone without saying good bye and ran upstairs to my room. I grabbed the keys to my truck and ran to my parents room. The door was shut and normally I'd knock, but I just burst through the door. Charlie looked up at me with a surprised expression from where he sat on the bed with the newspaper in his lap._

_"Dad!" I exclaimed. "We need to get to the hospital! Now! Mom is dying!" He jumped up from the bed in surprise and ran downstairs. I started down the stairs and saw Katie looking at me curiously._

_"Playson Hospital," I told her as I ran for the door, not giving her a chance to answer. Katie's family, the Mullets, could call the hospital and find out what was going on because at the moment I didn't have time to explain. Charlie was honking from inside of his police cruiser as I made my way outside. I'd wanted to take my truck, but it was too slow and we could go as fast as we wanted in a police car. _

_I jumped into the passenger seat and Charlie drove as fast as the car would go. He turned on his police flashers and I watched as people moved out of our way. In my mind, I prayed that I'd at least have a few hours left with my mother._

_"Bella, sweetheart," Mom whispered to me as she held my hand. Charlie stood on her other side with her other hand. They'd already had a few minutes together and now we were getting to be with her for her last few moments "I love you so much- never forget that. I'll see you again some day, but for now, follow your dreams. Move to Washington; find out what you can about your family. And remember: always listen to your heart, no matter what."_

_Her eyes closed and I felt the tears going down my cheeks as her breathing came to a halt. I started sobbing when the realization hit me: my mother had just died and all I could do was stand by and watch it happen._

I awoke with a start and wiped the sweat from my forhead. Ever since Mom had passed away last month, I'd had a replay of that final night with her in a dream. It always brought the agony back. Normally, right now I'd start sobbing until there weren't any tears left, but it was already eight o'clock and today was moving day. There wasn't time for tears.

I'd told Dad that moving to Washington could be done when I get out of high school so he could stay here in Phoenix, but he said he didn't want to have me so far away only a year after losing Mom. I understood what he meant and decided to let it go. I felt better knowing he'd be there with me anyway.

I pulled back the covers of my sleeping bag and stood up. My stomach growled at me so I went downstairs to get some cereal. I had to sit down on the floor to eat because our dining room table, along with most of our other furniture, had already been moved to our new house in Forks. I still don't get why anyone would name a town after an eating utensil, but oh well. It was as close as we could get to La Push without actually living on the reservation.

Honestly, I wasn't sure I was ready to move quite yet, but Mom had wanted me find my family and that's what I'd do. It was also a distraction from things I didn't want to think about like the fact that I wouldn't see my mom again until I die. When I finished my cereal, I washed out my bowl and decided to call Katie. She and her family had offered to help us move our remaining furniture and belongings out to the moving truck. They also wanted to tell us goodbye; they had been good friends with my parents since before I was born and this parting would be difficult. Katie and I had met a few days after I'd been adopted and we'd been best friends ever since.

"Bella?" she answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Katie."

"We're coming over at eleven. Is that fine?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Our flight is at three, so we'll have a few hours together." This sudden move would be hard on the both of us; we'd planned on graduating together, attending the same college, being roomates, always being there for eachother, but now that all changed. Sure, we could still go to college together if we wanted to, but I'd have to spend all of senior year without her, only seeing her a few times a year.

"All right. Hey, I need to go eat breakfast before Mom gets mad. See you later."

"Bye," I whispered and hung up the phone. I heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Charlie coming down. He had dark circles under his eyes, which sadly had become normal ever since Renée's death.

"Good morning," I said in the most cheerful voice I could muster.

"Hey, Bells. Today's the big day." I nodded. "When are the Mullets coming?"

"I just got off the phone with Katie. She said they would be here at eleven." He nodded and went to get some cereal. Today would be a long day.

* * *

"I miss you already, Bella," Katie whispered in my ear as we hugged one last time in the terminal. I wiped tears from my face but kept my arms tight around her.

"I miss you, too," I whispered back. "But no matter what, we'll be best friends forever."

"Yes we will. Call me every single day and give me updates. I don't care how boring the day might have been; I want to hear all about it."

"I will. Visit me anytime you like." We pulled apart.

"Right back at you." We smiled at each other one last time and I said goodbye as I started towards Charlie, who was sitting on a bench with the Mullets about ten feet away to give us privacy. He said one last thing to the Mullets and then stood up when he saw me.

"Ready?" he asked when I was next to him. I nodded and he put his arm around my shoulders. We made our way to the plane in silence.

The plane ride was short for the distance we were traveling; only six hours long. Charlie drove us to our new home in a nice looking rental car that we'd be using until he got his new police cruiser. I was looking out the window the whole time, trying to see if there was anything interesting in this tiny town. We passed a few restaurants, a gas station, and a tiny little grocery store, but that was about it. Oh well, I'd better get used to it.

When we finally got to our new home, it was almost ten o'clock. There was a huge U-Haul truck parked in front of it and I groaned at the realization that we had a lot of unloading and unpacking to do.

"Don't worry," Charlie told me. "We'll wait until tomorrow to bring everything in. For now, just take your sleeping bag and whatever else you need." I sighed in relief and pulled my suitcase out of the trunk. Inside of it I had just a few pairs of clothes, my sleeping bag, my tooth brush and other essentials.

I walked inside the two story house- we really only needed a one story but we got a good deal on it. It wasn't anything special, but maybe that would change when we set up our furniture. I followed Charlie up the stairs.

"That's your room," he said pointing to one of the two rooms. "This one's mine. You can take a look at the rest of the house tomorrow, but for now, get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"All right. Good night, Dad," I said, giving him a small hug and a peck on the cheek. Normally he wasn't one for physical contact, but ever since Renée died, he's needed it. I went into my bedroom and set up my sleeping bag. It occured to me then that it was already the middle of August. School would be starting soon.

With a sigh, I laid down, but I couldn't fall asleep; there was too much on my mind. Mom, Dad, Katie, my birth family, school, making new friends; there was so much going on in my head it gave me a headache. About an hour later, I finally did fall asleep, but this time, for the first time in a month, I had a different dream.

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Review please! Let me know what you think of it so far and let me know if you have any good ideas. Thanks! :D


	3. Jacob Black

Bella meets Jacob is in this chapter. Just so you know, things will happen in a different order than they do in the actual book.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

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Bella's POV:

_I was running through a forest at top speed. It was raining hard and I heard thunder in the distance. I wasn't sure what I was running from, but I could hear the loud sound of someone running behind me._

_"Run, Bella, run!" an unfamiliar voice yelled at me from behind. It was then that I realized I wasn't running normally- I was down on all fours. But that didn't make sense; I was running faster than normal and my hands didn't hurt at all. I looked down at my hands and screamed, which came out as a yelp. Where my hands should have been were fuzzy paws. What was going on? Then something cold knocked into me and pinned me to the ground. I felt something bite into my throat._

_"Bella!" the voice from before cried out. "Bella...Bella! Wake up!"_

I jumped up with a start and realized Charlie was calling me from downstairs.

"Yeah, Dad?" I yelled back as I wiped the sweat from my face. _It was only a dream,_ I thought to myself.

"Get down here! We have visitors!" I glanced down at my watch, which I'd forgotten to take off last night. It was already a few minutes past ten! Normally, Charlie would have woken me up if I wasn't up by eight thirty. I guess he thought I needed the extra rest. I showered and was dressed in blue jeans and a plain white shirt half an hour later.

"So you fish?" Charlie asked someone.

"Yeah, I know this river where you can catch some great fish. I can show you some time if you want." A man was saying.

"That would be great!" Charlie started going on about different fish he caught back in Phoenix. I walked into the dining room where they were and Charlie looked up at me. Sitting around the table (which Charlie must have brought in while I was sleeping) were Charlie, a man in a wheel chair, and a guy with long hair who was probably about twenty.

"Hey," I said as I sat down in the chair next to Charlie. "What did I miss?"

"Bella," Charlie said. "This is Billy Black and his son Jacob."

"Hi," the younger one said with a smile as he extended his hand to me. I shook it. "You can call me Jake, if you want."

"All right," I nodded and took my hand back. Billy extended his hand and I shook it.

"Bella," Charlie said. "The Blacks live in La Push. They're Quileutes." My eyes widened. I'd thought finding out about my family would be difficult, but maybe it would be easier than I thought.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep," Jacob answered. "And I know you have plenty of questions, but at the moment, I believe I promised to help bring in furniture." He stood up and started walking to the door. I looked to Charlie and he just nodded. I followed Jake out the door and to the U-Haul truck. He was pulling the couch out and I grabbed the opposite end to help.

"So, tell me about yourself," he said as we started going inside.

"What do you want to know?"

"Well, first off, how old are you?"

"Seventeen. I'll be eighteen in September. How about you?"

"Fifteen." I almost dropped my end of the couch.

"Fifteen? But you look- I mean, you're like- you look like you're about twenty, but you're younger than me? Wow."

He laughed. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But you're seriously a Quileute?"

I nodded. "That's what the note said." We were already inside and setting the couch down now.

"But you're so pale!" We were moving back outside now.

I tried to laugh, but I couldn't. Were all Quileutes supposed to be dark? If so, then why was my skin so light? Was I not a Quileute? Maybe the note was a lie. But why would someone even bother to leave the note if it wasn't the truth?

"Sorry," Jacob said. He must have noticed the look on my face. We were picking up part of Charlie's bed frame now. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, it's all right. It's just making me wonder..." I trailed off, realizing that I was about to spill everything to Jacob, someone I'd just met.

"Wonder what?" Jake asked curiously.

I sighed, wanting to change the subject. "It's nothing. So, um, what do you guys do around here for fun?" We started up the stairs. I'm surprised I didn't trip.

"Well, not much, really. It's normally raining here, so most people just stay inside or go out of town to do stuff."

"Oh," I said, the disappointment obvious in my voice. I'd heard that in rained here a lot, but I hadn't thought much about what I would do during the day.

"Don't worry," Jake told me as we set the bed railing down in Charlie's room "You'll get used to it. It's not that bad." I nodded, though I highly doubted that. I'd lived in sunny Phoenix for as long as I could remember. We started down the stairs again when my stomach grumbled. Jake laughed.

"Sorry, I forgot that you hadn't eaten yet. There's this diner I go to sometimes. You want to go there? We can get to know each other a little better." I smiled. It was my first day here and I'd already made a friend.

"Sure," I answered and we walked out to his car.

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"So what's it like in Phoenix?" Jacob asked me when we had settled in at a small two person table in the middle of the restaurant. I thought for a moment before answering.

"It's very sunny."

He laughed. "Unlike Forks. So why'd you guys move here?"

"It's kind of a long story," I said, not really wanting to go into it.

"I have plenty of time."

I sighed and decided to tell him. "I was left on the front porch of an orphanage when I was a baby. There was a note that said I was from the Quileutes and my parents died. Charlie and Renée," I hesitated on my mother's name and bit my lip before continuing.

"They adopted me when I was five and promised that we'd move here when I was old enough. We were going to move last year, but then Mom lost her job and we were struggling with money. I'd told them that I'd come here when I got out of high school, but they really wanted to come here with me.

"Last month," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Last month, Mom went out hiking. She'd been gone for a few hours, but I didn't think anything of it; sometimes she needed some time to herself. That's when I got the phone call." I gulped and looked down at the table. Jacob reached over and grabbed my hand. I looked up at his blurry form and realized I was crying.

"You don't have to go on," he told me in a sympathetic voice. I nodded my thanks and wiped my face. I'd finish telling him the story some day, but now was too soon. The waitress came up at that moment and I was relieved.

"Hello, I'm Tracy and I'll be your waitress today," she said, smiling at us. "What can I get for you to drink?"

"I'd like Root Beer," Jacob said. "How about you, Bells?"

"I'll just have water."

"All right. I'll be back in a minute." She walked away and I blushed at the realization that Jacob and I were still holding hands. He saw the look on my face and grinned.

"What? You don't like holding my hand?" We both laughed and he pulled his hand away.

"Are you going to Forks High School, Jake?" I asked when the laughter finally stopped.

"No, I go to school on the reservation."

"Oh," I said, trying unsuccessfully to hide my disappointment. It would have been nice to have someone I knew there with me.

"We can still hang out after school," he told me and I smiled.

"That would be nice. So...tell me something about the Quileutes."

"Well, we have a lot of legends."

"Like what?"

"Well, first of all, we're apparently descendants from wolves," he rolled his eyes and I laughed. The waitress came back then and handed us our drinks.

"Are we ready to order?" she asked and Jacob nodded.

"I'll have the number twenty two," he said as he gave his menu back to Tracy.

"Um, you do realize that's a meal for a family of four, right?" she asked and Jake nodded.

"I have a big appetite." I raised my eyebrows and he laughed. "And you, Bella?"

I smiled. Although I just met Jacob, it felt like I'd known him all my life. "I just want a grilled cheese sandwich and some french fries."

"Will that be all?" Tracy asked and Jacob nodded

"Tell me more." I said as soon as the waitress was gone.

He sighed. "All right, but they're all just stupid myths. There are apparently these 'Cold Ones' who are our enemies." He went told the story about a vampire family that had lived here and had made a deal with his great grandfather.

I laughed when he finished. "So people actually believe this?"

He smiled. "Yeah, my dad is one of them. Amazing, isn't it?" I just nodded and we continued chatting about random things like our favorite colors, our hobbies, and even past relationships. We just seemed to click and I knew we were going to be great friends.

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Okay so if you haven't noticed, Jacob isn't a werewolf at this point in the story. The next chapter will be Bella's first day of school. Review and let me know what you think! I won't update until I get at least five! :)


	4. The New Girl

Hey readers! Sorry, I know I haven't updated in ages, but I had writer's block. My little sister kept urging me to write it so I finally just did. Anyway, I'm tired of the way the first day of school is always written, so I decided to change it up a little. Oh yeah, I almost forgot! The person who leaves the best review will get a preview for the next chapter and the next chapter will be dedicated to them!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

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"Ooh, that must have hurt," one girl said sarcastically and a few kids laughed. This was definitely not my day. I hadn't even been at this school for five minutes and I've already tripped over my shoelace in the parking lot and now, when I had tried to push open the office door that apparently is supposed to be pulled, someone from inside had pushed it open and knocked me over. I looked up to see a short girl with black spikey hair and golden eyes staring down at me with a shocked expression.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," she apologized and held out her hand. I took it and she pulled me up. I heard her muttering to herself, "why didn't I see this coming? I _was_ focusing on Jasper, that must be it."

"It's all right," I mumbled.

"Well, anyways, I'm Alice. You must be Bella, the new girl."

"Yep, that's me." I was a little surprised that she knew to call me Bella rather than Isabella, but I decided to let it slide. She started staring at something behind me and I turned to see what it was, but all I could see was the wall.

"Um, Alice?" I asked, waving a hand in front of her face. She snapped out of it and smiled at me.

"Let's go get your schedule." She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the office. I was a little surprised by how sure of herself she seemed to be, but I wasn't going to complain. She seemed nice and I needed a friend. We walked up to the woman at the desk and she looked up.

"Hello, Mrs. Cope," Alice said. "Bella is new here. She needs to pick up her schedule."

"Oh, yes!" Mrs. Cope said, shuffling through some papers until she found the right one. "Ah. Here you are, Miss Swan. Have a good day." She handed me my schedule and we walked into the hallway. I was about to show my schedule to Alice to see if we had any classes together when she suddenly squealed. I looked at her curiously.

"We have Spanish and History together!" she exclaimed.

I was confused. "How did you know that, Alice? I didn't even show you my schedule yet."

Alice's mouth dropped open and she stared at me in what looked like... horror? "You didn't?"

I shook my head and felt my brow furrow in confusion. How had she known that?

"I help out in the office in the mornings and I, uh, saw your schedule earlier. Hey, you want me to show you around?"

"Sure," I answered, still not buying what she said about my schedule.

"Well, come on, Bella!" She took my hand and started pulling me along. "We're going to be great friends! I just know it!"

* * *

After the tour, Alice had shown me where my first class was and the rest of the morning had been boring. No one talked to me until third period when I had History with Alice and even then Alice was the only one who actually talked to me. Most people just looked at me and whispered with their friends. It had made me uncomfortable and I tried to focus on my teachers, but I could still feel their eyes watching me. After third period, Alice walked with me to lunch.

"Where are we going to sit?" I asked her after we got our trays and looked at the crowded cafeteria.

"Follow me," Alice said and started for the back of the cafeteria. The table we were walking to had four people sitting at it, three guys and one girl. I focused on one in particular, a handsome guy with bronze hair. Then I saw his expression. I almost stopped walking when I realized he and the girl, a beautiful blond, were glaring at me in a way that made me want to run all the way back to Phoenix. The other boys obviously weren't too happy about me coming to sit with them, but they didn't seem as angry. I realized that all of their eyes were golden. Maybe it was a group thing and they all just decided to get golden contacts? I wasn't sure, but now wasn't the best time to ask.

"Hey, guys," Alice exclaimed cheerfully as we approached the table. I realized then that the cafeteria was silent and everyone's eyes were on us. "This is Bella."

"Hi," I said shyly, lifting my hand and waving slightly. No one said anything.

"Go ahead," Alice urged. "Sit down. We don't bite." She laughed at what I'm guessing was an inside joke and everyone turned their glares on Alice. I sat down next to the dark haired boy, across from the bronze haired one. Alice sat down between him and the blond boy.

"So, Bella," Alice said and the rest of the cafeteria, to my relief, started talking again."This is Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward." She pointed to each of them as she said their name. So, his name is Edward. Suddenly, his head whooshed around so he could glare at Alice again. I wished I would have sat by myself. Being alone, I could handle, but being rejected was way worse. I bit my lip to stop myself from breaking down right there and Jasper looked at me sympathetically, or at least I think he did. He looked away as soon as I noticed.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed. "I forgot the cookies!" Everyone except for Edward looked at her with a confused expression. "You know, the ones I made for all the teachers. I'm going to need some help. Can you guys come back home with me to get them?" Everyone except me wordlessly stood up, but Alice looked down at me.

"Silly me!" she exclaimed. "We can't leave Bella alone! Edward, you stay here with her." She pushed on his shoulder and he sat down reluctantly. The others turned and followed Alice out the door. Edward glared at her departing figure with hatred.

"So," I said awkwardly. "How long have you been going here?" Edward glared at me, then stood up. I watched him walk out and throw away his untouched tray. The cafeteria went silent once again and I felt the tears already forming in my eyes. I ran to the bathroom as fast as I could and locked myself in a stall, where I just broke down sobbing. I was used to this feeling, being unwanted. I hadn't felt it much since I'd been adopted by Charlie and Renée, but every once in a while, it would hit me like a storm.

After a while, the bell rang and I knew it was time to get to my next class. I rinsed my face in cold water, hoping that would help make the redness less noticable, and dried it off. I made it to my next class, which was biology, just before the bell and went up to the teacher.

"Is there a seating chart?" I asked.

"No," he answered. "But you don't have much of a choice, since you practically came in late. The only seat open is next to Mr. Cullen." I recognized the last name; Jacob had told me about the Cullens. They were supposedly vampires. This should be interesting. I turned around, expecting to see a freaky guy with a green Mohawk and multiple body piercings, but what I saw took me by surprise. I wanted to break down again just at the sight at him. "Mr. Cullen" was Edward.

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Okay, I know that wasn't a cliff hanger since everyone already knew that "Mr. Cullen" was Edward, but it just seemed like a good stopping point. Don't you just love Alice? Anyway, anyone wondering what's up with the rest of the Cullens? You can probably guess, but I'll explain later anyway. Remember, I'll send a sneak peek of the next chapter to the best reviewer, so send in those reviews!


	5. Edward Cullen

Hey people! I'm sorry, I know I haven't updated in forever, but I got tired of this fanfic and the other day I was inspired to continue writing. Sorry, this is a short chapter, but the next will be longer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

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Bella's POV

I slowly walked to the chair next to him and sat down. Edward was avoiding eye contact as he scooted himself to the far side of the table. I could feel tears starting to well up in my eyes again, but pushed them back. I wouldn't cry again. At least, not at my new school on my first day. Once I was at home in my room, it would be perfectly okay to do so. However, until then, I was determined to appear unaffected by his obvious dislike of me. I snorted. Dislike? More like hate. The worst part was, I wasn't even sure why. Did he think I was hideous? Did I smell bad? Did he just act like this around all new kids? Or maybe just those who tried to be part of his group? Well, I hadn't done it on purpose. Alice had been so friendly, and it seemed that all of her friends would be that way as well. Apparently not.

The teacher, who I hadn't even realized was talking, finished his speech and told us to start on our assignment. Everyone except me started working and I silently cursed. I had been too caught up in my thoughts to pay attention to the directions. I looked around for someone to ask, but the only person was Edward. I sighed inwardly and prayed that this wouldn't go as badly as I thought it would.

"Um, what are we supposed to do?" I whispered to him.

"Write an essay on the different types of cells you know about and what they're made up of," he said without looking up.

"Okay," I replied. "Um, thanks." He nodded his head slightly in response as he continued to write. Wow, I hadn't expected him to actually answer. That was progress, right? I pulled out a sheet of notebook paper and a pen and began writing, but my thoughts remained on the golden eyed boy next to me.

* * *

"I don't even know why he hates me, Jake," I shook my head. "Am I really _that _unattractive?" We were sitting down at my kitchen table, eating grilled cheese sandwiches, as I went on about my first day of school. Charlie wouldn't be home for another few hours.

"Of course not," Jacob laughed. "I don't know what's wrong with him, but don't let it bother you. He probably has a girlfriend and is mad that he didn't wait for you to come along."

I snorted. "Yeah, I highly doubt that. He looked repulsed by me, like I was some kind of freak. It scared me." I decided not to mention the part where I broke down crying in the bathroom. It may seem like I've known him forever, but I just met Jacob, and he was my only real friend since coming to Forks (besides Alice, but I'm not sure if she counts or not since her group obviously doesn't like me) and I'd rather not scare him away with my weirdness. He definitely didn't seem like that kind of a guy, but I didn't know him well enough to be the judge of that.

Jacob opened his mouth to speak when the doorbell rung. I scrunched my eyebrows together as I thought about who could possibly be at my door.

"Expecting company?" Jake asked.

"No," I replied, standing up to go get it. When I opened up the door, I'm sure my jaw nearly fell to the floor at who was standing there.

"Edward?" I asked, not sure what he was doing here. "Wha- How did you find out where I live?"

"Your dad's works for the police," he said with a straight face. "It's not exactly hard to find out."

"But what are you doing here?" I asked. By this time, Jacob must have realized something was up because he came over.

"Who is it?" he asked, coming over to the door. Edward glared at him.

"Um, Jacob, this is Edward," I said awkwardly. "He goes to my school." He turned to me, his eyes asking an obvious question. _This is _the _Edward we were just discussing?_ I nodded slightly before turning back to Edward, who did not look happy in the least.

"Get him out," he ordered, gesturing to Jacob.

"Excuse me?" Jacob asked.

"I need to talk to Isabella," Edward said and I sighed.

"It's Bella, actually," I corrected him. "And Jake's my friend. I _invited _him over here, and he'll stay as long as he likes. I don't even _know _you, but if you want to talk, then talk." I was surprised at how confident my voice sounded. I had no idea how I was able to do it, but I was glad it did.

Edward closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking frustrated. Surprisingly, he walked away. I watched in confusion as he drove off at top speed in his silver Volvo.

"What was that about?" Jacob asked as I shut the door. We began making our way back to the table.

"I have absolutely no idea," I answered, feeling more confused than I had a few minutes ago. What did Edward want? He had seemed completely content with staying away from me the entire day at school and suddenly he shows up at my house wants to talk? I shook my head. Edward Cullen was a mystery that I _would_ figure out. I guess this means I'm going to have to start hanging out with the Cullens.

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Ooh what could Edward possibly want to talk to Bella about? And why did he go through the trouble of going to her house to talk to her? You'll figure out in later chapters! Perhaps the next, maybe the one after that, depending on what kind of mood I'm in. Anyways, review! Please and thanks! :D


	6. Trying to Fit In

Hey people! Thanks for the reviews! This chapter is a bit sad in my opinion, but it will get better! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

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Bella's POV

"Do I look okay?" I asked, then realized it was stupid since I didn't know anyone in here. I was standing in the restroom in front of the mirror, putting in the golden contacts that had taken me about two hours of running around from store to store to find. The girl next to me, who was putting on lip gloss, gave me a strange look before walking away. I shrugged, picking up the container of cookies I had made the night before and put them in my backpack before heading towards the cafeteria. You're probably wondering why I spent all of yesterday afternoon doing such pointless things as shopping for strange colored contacts and baking cookies, right? Well, I really wanted the Cullens to accept me, and it seemed that the only way to do that would be to be one of them. I didn't know much about them, except for the fact that they wore gold contacts and Alice had said that she made cookies yesterday, so I assumed that they liked cookies.

I grabbed my lunch from the relatively short cafeteria line and headed towards the Cullens' table. Today they were serving lasagna and it didn't look that bad at all. Seriously, I don't know where people got the idea that school cafeteria food is something that is always just a mysterious glob with hairs in it that always makes people sick, but I guess it tastes different to me since I've been eating it ever since elementary school. Of course, I had grown up in Phoenix and this was Washington, but cafeteria food is relatively the same no matter where you go, right?

I kept my eyes on the floor as I walked, nervous about how the Cullens' would react. What if they would get mad that I was pushing myself into their group by wearing the same color contacts? And what if they didn't like cookies? _Calm down, _I told myself. _If they don't want me in their group, they'll reject me anyway, contacts or no contacts. And who doesn't like cookies?_

Realizing that I was about to reach my destination, I looked up, knowing that I'd have to do so eventually. Big mistake. Every one in the group was staring at me with a mix of horror and disbelief, and maybe even a bit of excitement from Alice, but mostly horror. Edward's glare freaked me out the most. The way he looked at me felt like he was trying to see into my soul, figure out every little thing about me and who I was. I shivered slightly as I set my tray down next to Alice, who must have left that seat open for me.

"Hey, guys," I smiled as I sat down, trying to appear confident, which I definitely wasn't at the moment. "How's it going?"

Everyone just stared at me until Alice spoke. "Um, Bella? Your eyes…" she trailed off and I suddenly wished I hadn't done this.

"Oh, um, I liked your contacts and I thought it would be cool to go get some of my own." The horrified looks seemed to change to those of relief and even a bit of annoyance.

"Oh," Alice said, giving me a small smile. "That's…" she trailed off again, as if trying to find the right words to say, and I got the feeling that the Cullens didn't like having people copying their fashion statements without permission. Or perhaps not at all. I decided it was time to change the subject.

"I made you cookies." I pulled the container out of my backpack and set it in the middle of the table so everyone would be able to reach. A very awkward silence was among us for a few seconds before the blonde girl, Rosalie, spoke:

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Rosalie, don't-"Alice tried to stop her, but she continued.

"No, this isn't right. She's just a normal girl who's trying to rub it in all of our faces and make us feel bad about who we are."

"We discussed this last night. You know that she's not normal. She-"

"Okay, so she's not a normal human, but she's not like us either. She's a freak who's never going to fit in, so she just wants to bud into our lives and make us miserable." They continued to argue, and I think the others joined in as well, but I couldn't be sure. I had pretty much tuned out of the conversation after what Rosalie had said. So she thought I was a freak? She said I wasn't normal and was only trying to make them miserable. What made it worse was the fact that Alice, who I had thought was my friend, said that they had talked about this last night- about _me._

I blinked my eyes, trying to keep the tears away, as I stood up, putting my backpack on my back, and grabbed my tray and the container of cookies. I tried not to look at anyone as I did so, but I caught a glimpse of Jasper, who was looking at me sympathetically, just like he had the day before. Did he look at everyone like that? Or did he just feel sorry for the freak that didn't and obviously never would fit in? At the moment, I didn't care. I could faintly hear Alice calling my name after me as I threw away my untouched tray and ran for the door, but I didn't turn back.

I went to the front office and told Mrs. Cope that I didn't feel well and was going home. I knew I couldn't go through the day without crying, which I definitely wasn't going to do at school again, and no way was I going to be able to sit next to Edward next period. Only the second day of school and I had already been rejected. Twice. This was not going to be a good year.

* * *

"Bells?" Charlie called when I walked in the door. Oh, great. I had forgotten that he'd be home for lunch. I sighed. I had hoped I would get away with staying home the rest of the day. At least I had taken out the contacts when I was in the car and wouldn't need to explain those.

"Hey, Dad," I said, trying to keep my voice even. I had kept the tears at bay for the whole ride home, wanting to wait until I got to my room to cry my heart out. Now, it seemed, that wouldn't happen. At least, not until Charlie left.

"What are you doing home?" he asked as he came out of the kitchen and to the entryway. He looked suspicious, as if he was expecting me to lie. I set down my backpack and pulled out the container of cookies. I walked to the kitchen and set the container on the counter. I could hear the footsteps behind me as Charlie followed.

"Did something happen?" he asked.

"I tried to make new friends," I said softly, not meeting his eyes as I sat down at the kitchen table. I knew I wouldn't be allowed to go upstairs until I told him everything. Ever since I was little, he and Renee had made me sit down at the table and talk whenever something was bothering me. Occasionally, it would help, but normally it was just irritating.

"I'm guessing that didn't turn out too well," he said as he sat down across from me.

"Nope. They think I'm a freak who's never going to fit in with anyone."

"Why would you say that? You don't know what they're thinking, Bella. "

"Rosalie sure sounded serious when she said it."

"You mean they actually told you that to your face?" He looked shocked and sounded a bit angry now.

"Yep."

"And what did you do that made them hate you so much?"

"I baked them cookies," I replied quietly, looking down at my hands as I tried to push the flashback from my mind.

"What?"

"I baked them a bunch of freaking cookies!" I yelled. I couldn't help it; I had so many emotions going through me and the fact that my dad was trying to pry all of this information out of me wasn't helping. "I just wanted to fit in, to feel like I belonged for once, but they rejected me." Tears pricked my eyes and I tried my best to keep them there and not let them fall.

"Bella, I'm sorry, sweetie. You know you're-"

"Don't tell me I'm a special girl. I'm tired of hearing it! I was special to you and Mom because she couldn't have kids. I was special to Ms. Darla because she had raised me for five years, ever since the day I showed up on the doorstep of the orphanage as a baby. No one else sees me that way, Dad. I'm not important to them like I am to you and was to Mom. To them, I'm just a nobody who's pointlessly trying to fit in." I felt a tear slide down my cheek and ignored it as I stood up.

"That's not true, Bells. What about your friends? You still have Jacob and Katie. They care about you."

I ignored him and started up the stairs, calling behind me, "I want to go home!"

So faintly that I'm not sure if I had imagined it or not, I heard the words "you _are_ home" come from downstairs. I shook my head, deciding that I didn't feel like arguing anymore, and went straight to my room, slamming the door behind me. Instead of sobbing like I had planned on doing, I just lay down on my bed and decided to take a nap. Maybe, _hopefully, _sleep would take the day's events off of my mind.

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Review! Please and thanks! :D


	7. Phone Calls and a visitor

Okay, these chapters are tending to be pretty short, but oh well. I'm going to try to start updating more often, so hopefully these shorter chapters will help.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

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"Come on," I muttered as the phone rang. I had already tried calling Jake four times throughout the day and he hadn't answered once. I needed to talk to someone about the Cullens- Charlie didn't understand. Jacob had become my best friend over the past few weeks and he was the only one I could talk to.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end answered. Yes!

"Billy?" I said. "This is Bella. Can I talk to Jake?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Bella, but Jacob is feeling a bit under the weather. I think he's come down with Mono."

"Oh, really?" I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice, but it didn't work. "Is there anything I can do to help? Bring him some soup or something?"

"No, it's all right. He just needs to be alone for awhile."

"Oh. Okay. Well, tell him I hope he gets better soon and to call me as soon as he does."

"I will. But in the mean time, Bella, you might want to find some other friends."

"What do you mean?" I asked slowly. Was he implying that he didn't like me hanging around Jake? I had always assumed that he liked me, but maybe I was wrong.

"I'm just saying that you're going to need some other friends. Jacob isn't always going to be there for you and I think it would be best for your sake if you don't always rely on him. Maybe meet a few people who go to school with you that you can study with and see more often."

"Um…okay," I replied, not really sure why he would tell me something like that. "Thanks, I guess. Um, I think I'll go now. Bye."

"Good bye, Bella." Weird. I looked over at my nightstand and saw the picture of my best friend from Phoenix, Katie, and I from just two months ago. I had promised to call her every day and had completely forgotten! I dialed her number and waited as it rang.

"Hello?" her mother answered.

"Hey, Mrs. Mullet," I said.

"Bella! I haven't heard from you in almost two months! How have you been, sweetie?"

"Um, pretty good," I lied. "I miss Phoenix, though. It rains too much here."

She laughed. "Yes, I can imagine. Well, Katie is over at a friend's house now. I'll tell her to call you back later."

"Okay, thanks."

"Have a good day, sweetie. And remember, you're always welcome for a visit!"

"I just might take you up on that offer. Talk to you later."

"Bye, sweetie." I sighed as I hung up the phone. So Katie had already replaced me. I guess I couldn't blame her; I hadn't exactly been keeping my promise and, in a way, replaced her with Jake.

"Bells!" my dad called from downstairs. "Come down here!"

"Coming," I called back as I made my way out of my room and down the stairs, wondering what he could have wanted. He knew I was upset and normally didn't bother me when that was the case.

"It was nice of you to come over," Charlie was saying. "Bella's been kind of… upset. I think she's having a hard time adjusting."

"I know, Mr. Swan, and I feel terrible," I froze at the bottom of the stairs when I heard that voice and looked over at the dining room. Sure enough, Alice Cullen was standing there next to my dad. "I really need to talk to her. You see, there was this huge misunderstanding and-" She stopped short when she saw me. "Bella! Listen, I'm-"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, although I'd just heard the answer to that question. "Does everyone just have to track down where I live so they can talk to me?" I was referring to when Edward had come over the day before, which I was sure Alice would have known about.

"Look, I'm really sorry, Bella. Could we maybe go to your room so I can explain?"

"Explain?" I nearly yelled. I wasn't sure what came over me, but I felt angry all of the sudden. I was shaking and felt like I was about to explode. "What is there to explain? I baked you guys a freaking batch of cookies and you just called me a freak to my face! There is no explanation for that other than that you guys obviously hate me!"

"Bella!" Charlie scolded me. "Your friend is trying to be nice and apologize and you-"

"She's not my friend," I told him. "I thought she was, but apparently not."

"Please, Bella," Alice pleaded. Something about the look on her face made me calm down and I took a deep breath, suddenly feeling like crying again.

"Come on," my voice was barely audible as I walked up the stairs, Alice following close behind. I went into my room and closed the door as she plopped down on the bed. I sat down next to her and looked at her expectantly.

"Look, Bella," she began. "I'm really sorry about earlier."

"It's okay," I lied. It was most definitely not okay, but I would give Alice a chance. She had seemed welcoming enough on my first day. "I'm sorry about overreacting just now. I'm not sure what came over me," I apologized, looking down at my hands as I fidgeted with a loose thread on my jeans. "I suddenly felt like punching the wall. It's weird; I've never felt like that before."

"You have a reason to be mad," she sighed. "Where to begin…"

"Can you just tell me what you guys meant earlier?" I asked. "I mean, it sure sounded like you guys hate me."

"They don't hate you, exactly. The others just… don't understand. They say you're different."

I just sat there while she thought, trying not to ponder on what she had just told me until she finished explaining.

"Oh, God, Edward is so going to kill me," she muttered. "How do I say this without freaking you out?" She took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm just going to come straight out and say this, because I can see that you're going to be… very close to our family soon." She looked me straight in the eye and I could see how serious this was to her. What was it? Were they part of some gang? A cult, maybe? But nothing could have prepared me for what she said next. "Bella, we're vampires."

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Okay, I know that Alice told Bella the truth really quick, but I really want this story to start moving along and this seemed like the easiest way to do that. And if you didn't notice, Jacob has already turned into a werewolf and Bella almost did (hence the sudden anger in this chapter), but that won't be happening 'til later on. ;)

Reviews are welcomed! :D


	8. An Evening with the Cullens

Okay, so I was going to split this into two chapters, but it would have been super short, so I just left it as one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

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I just stared at Alice for a few moments as that soaked in. I almost laughed, but then I remembered what Jake had told me about the Cullens on my first day there- they were rumored to be vampires. But vampires weren't real, right?

"That's not funny," I said, trying to stop my thoughts from the track they were going down, but it was too late; they were already going full speed. The Cullens hung out by themselves, never allowing anyone else into their group. Their skin was really pale. They had golden eyes, which could be contacts, of course, but maybe it was some weird vampire thing. Stop, Bella! They aren't vampires. They can't be.

"Why would I joke about something like this?" she asked and the look in her eyes told me that she wasn't lying- they _were _vampires. But how could it be possible? "Think about it, Bella. Why do you think Rosalie got so mad earlier?"

"I don't know!" I shouted back, losing control of myself again. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Okay. So if they were vampires, why would Rosalie be mad that I was wearing contacts and made them cookies? I was about to voice the question, but Alice was already answering.

"Rosalie is jealous of you- you're a human. You're leading the life she wishes she could have and you're just trying to go join us like you want to give up your humanity so easily. You weren't doing it on purpose, of course, but they think you were. They think you're something different, something that wants to rub our condition in our faces. And we don't eat normal food like you guys do, so we didn't exactly want the cookies, but thanks anyway."

"Wait, what do you mean I'm something different? You think I'm not… human? And did you just read my mind or something?" I wasn't sure why I had asked the question, but I could tell there was something weird about how she had known what I was going to ask before I said it.

"I'll let Edward explain," she said as she bit her lip. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was trying to hide a smile. "And no, I don't read minds, and I would explain, but I think this is a bit too much for you to take in today. I'll explain the rest later."

"No," I told her firmly. "You started this conversation- I want answers now."

Alice sighed. "I don't see any point in arguing- it's going to last for a long time and you'll find out eventually, anyways. Why don't we just go over to my place? I think it will be easier if I let my family do some of the explaining. That is, if they don't kill me first."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We aren't exactly supposed to tell the world what we are. It's kind of against the rules."

"You have rules? Huh, okay, I guess I can accept that. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"I know you won't," Alice said with a smile as she stood up. "Now come on. Don't worry, they won't eat you. We're vegetarians."

"Vegetarian vampires. Interesting," I joked.

"I'm being serious," she said in a quieter voice as she opened the door and started down the stairs so Charlie wouldn't hear. "You'll understand later."

"Okay," I said as if I understood. I wasn't sure if Alice was just pulling my leg or not. But nothing made sense at the moment, so why should the fact that they're 'vegetarians' be any different? I felt as if my head was about to explode, and it didn't help that I had the nagging feeling that I had forgotten something important from my conversation with Jacob.

* * *

"I'm surprised you're not scared," Alice mused as she drove down the street to her house. Charlie had been perfectly happy with letting me go over to the Cullens' for dinner. I had to hold back my laugh when Alice said that- I sure hope there won't be dinner. Despite what Alice had said, I still wasn't so sure about the vegetarian thing, and if they were going to be angry, who's to say that I won't be the main course? Focus, Bella.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you're going to a house full of angry vampires who don't like you to begin with. If I were you, I would be running home right now."

"Thanks, Alice," I said sarcastically. "You're really helping."

"Sorry," she apologized as we drove down a drive way and up to a huge house that I'm guessing was theirs.

"Wow," I muttered as I opened the door.

"Just wait here," she told me as she got out. "Actually, scratch that. Come inside. If you're with me, they can't do anything too bad."

"Um, okay," I said uncertainly as I followed her up to the door. Before she touched the knob, it opened to reveal Edward glaring at Alice like she had just killed someone.

"What were you thinking?" Edward asked Alice calmly, but not in a good way- more like in a "I'm about to explode" way.

"I think you know the answer to that," Alice said in a joking tone as she walked past him and entered the house. Edward was staring at me in a strange way- both curious and like he was deciding whether or not to kill me. His glare had freaked me out before, but now that I knew what he was, I was a bit more scared. Let's just say that if I could have made my legs move, I would have jumped in Alice's car and driven as far away from there as I could.

"That is not going to happen," Edward said as he shook his head.

"Um," I found my voice. "What's not going to happen?"

"Nothing," he said before giving me a fake smile. "Everything is just dandy. Now come on inside. Would you like some cookies?"

My jaw dropped open. He was making fun of me. My hands were shaking again like they had when Alice showed up, only much worse this time. Anger came over me out of nowhere. "Well, excuse me for not knowing you were a vampire! I was trying to be nice to you guys by bringing cookies and- ugh! I'm tired of giving this same speech over and over again! First Charlie, then Alice…" I trailed off as I realized that he was looking at me with an amused expression.

"What?" I asked. "What's so funny?"

"Esme made you cookies," he said as he stepped back, gesturing for me to come in. "We had planned for you to come over tonight, and since we knew you liked cookies, we decided to finally use our kitchen to make some for you."

I felt embarrassed as I realized that I had just gotten angry over nothing. What was with me these days? "But if you knew that Alice was going to tell me, then why did you get so mad at her?"

"Look," he told me. "We agreed for Alice to apologize and to have you come over to hang out, but she wasn't supposed to tell you the truth."

"But I thought you hated me," I said.

"Are you going to come inside or not?" he asked as he opened the door wider. "I could stand here all day, but you probably will be more comfortable sitting down." I nodded as I stepped inside, surprised by what I saw. The house was beautiful. There were no coffins, or dead bodies lying around. No bats or containers of blood sitting around.

"Bella!" a beautiful woman smiled as she made her way over to me with a tray of cookies. "It's so great to meet you."

"Hi," I said self-consciously as the rest of the family walked into the room. Rosalie and Jasper stayed back a bit, but the rest crowded around me.

"Hey, Bells!" Emmett said as he wrapped me in a big bear hug. "Welcome to the family! I hear you're dating Eddie now."

"What?" I asked, my eyes widening in shock as he released me and took a step back.

"Emmett," Edward growled. "You know that's not true. And don't call me Eddie."

Emmett shrugged. "Whatever, but let me know when it happens, okay?" Edward growled and stepped toward his brother, but a blond man stepped in between them before anything happened.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," he told me as he extended his hand. I tried to hide my shock at how cold it was. "I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen, but you can call me Carlisle. This is my wonderful wife, Esme, and you already know the kids."

I nodded, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Why had I agreed to go to a house full of vampires?

"Please, sit down," Esme said, gesturing to the couch behind me. I complied and waited for the explanation that was surely about to come.

"Cookie?" Alice asked, gesturing to the tray that Esme had set down.

"No, thanks," I said. "I'm not really hungry."

Rosalie snatched a cookie from the tray and I watched as she crumbled it in her hand. "This is what we get for being nice?" she yelled. I didn't have time to duck as she threw the crumbs at my face.

"Rosalie!" Carlisle scolded. "Don't be so rude. If she's not hungry, then she doesn't have to eat."

"Oh, I think she can make room for a few." I cringed and put my hands up to cover my face as she picked up the entire tray and aimed for my face. Carlisle grabbed her wrist before she could throw and shook his head at her.

"Ugh! You know what? Fine. Let the human know everything, but this is going to backfire," she said as she dropped the tray and left the room.

"Please excuse Rosalie," Carlisle apologized as he started picking up the crumbled cookies from the ground. "She doesn't really like… well, anyone outside of the family."

"It's okay," I said as I pulled cookie crumbs off of my lap. "So, um, Alice said you guys would… explain."

"Oh, yes," Carlisle said. He explained how they didn't ever want to be vampires, but since they were, they had become "vegetarians".

"So Alice was serious about that?" I asked. "You guys, like, eat vegetables instead of drinking…?" I trailed off, not being able to bring myself to say the word 'blood'. Everyone laughed.

"No, it's not like that," Alice said.

"You made a good choice," Emmett said as he patted his brother's back. "Feisty and a sense of humor." Edward glared at him, but let it go.

"Well, what other kind of vegetarian is there?" I asked, not liking the feeling of everyone laughing at me.

"We drink animal blood, sweetie," Esme said. "It's not as good as human blood, but we don't want to be monsters."

"Oh," I said. Carlisle continued explaining about how Jasper was their newest member and that it was a bit hard for him to come near humans since he wasn't completely in control of himself yet.

"I think this is enough for one day," he said as he took one glance at the clock on the wall. It was already almost eight. "Why don't you come back tomorrow? I'm sure everyone would like to see you again later."

I nodded and stood up. "Thanks," I said, then stopped. Why was I thanking them? For telling me what they were and messing with my mind?

"Bella needs a ride home," Alice said. "Edward, why don't you take her?"

Edward grumbled. "Why can't you do it?"

"I'm going to take Jasper hunting." She took Jasper's hand in hers and stood by the backdoor, as if waiting for me to leave before going.

"Emmett," Edward said.

"I'm going to go check on Rosalie," he said with a wink as he headed upstairs.

` "Carlisle," Edward said in a pleading tone.

"I need to go check up on a patient at the hospital. I would drop her off on the way, but I don't have time," he said as he went out the front door.

"Esme?" Edward asked.

"Sorry, honey," she said as she yawned. "I need to go take a nap."

"Liar," Edward muttered as she walked upstairs with a grin on her face.

"Maybe she's tired?" I offered uncertainly.

Edward snorted as he looked at me. "We're vampires, Bella. We don't sleep."

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid.

"Come on. I guess I'm taking you home."

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Ooh Edward is taking her home! That means they're going to start getting closer and pretty soon it will be love :D And what could that important thing from her conversation with Jacob have been? And why does Emmett keep teasing Edward? You'll find out if you keep reading :) Review! Please and thanks!


	9. Riding Home

Sorry, guys, but I've been busy with dance practice lately (my legs are so sore I can barely walk!) and I haven't had much time to update, so y'all are probably going to have to get used to short chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Bob the Builder (you'll see what I'm talking about)

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Bella's POV

"So," I said once we got in the car to break the awkward silence. "Alice said you guys think I'm not human."

"Of course Alice told you that," Edward snorted, but didn't continue.

"Is it true?" I prodded. He just shrugged in reply.

I fought the urge to get upset at his stubbornness and instead just asked him another question. "What do you think I am?"

"I'm not so sure. You see, I know you can't be a vampire because you have blood flowing through your system and I saw you trip over that cord in the halls the other day. We could never be that clumsy even if we tried."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "So, what are the other options?"

"I don't know. You couldn't be a werewolf either because you don't smell like one. You don't smell like a human, either, though. It's a strange smell- nothing like I've ever experienced."

"Once again, thanks," I told him. "But just so you know, I _am _a human."

"That's the most confusing part- Alice told me that she can tell that you honestly believe you're human. She can see you in her visions, but-"

"Visions?" I asked.

He nodded. "Some vampires have special powers. Alice is psychic, Jasper has this power over emotions, and I read minds, but other than that, the rest of the family is normal. Well, as normal as a vampire can be." I nodded, finally understanding why Jasper had looked so sympathetic when I ran off during lunch and how Alice had known what I was going to say before I said it. Wait, but if Edward could read minds…

"You mean you've been listening to every single thought that I've thought when I was around you?" I asked, trying to control my anger. How could he do such a thing? It was an invasion of privacy! Wait, if he could read minds, then he was listening to me right now. You're such a jerk, Edward! Stop listening to my thoughts. If you don't stop, I'll torture you by singing a bunch of annoying little kid songs in my head. Okay, let's get started! Bob the Builder! Can we fix it? Bob the Builder! Yes we-

"No, I haven't," he interrupted my thoughts. "I can read everyone's mind except for yours and it's driving me crazy."

"Oh," I muttered, feeling like an idiot. Nice one, Bella. At least no one else knew that I was an idiot. "So, I smell weird and you can't read my thoughts. Is something wrong with me?"

"I've been wondering the same thing," he joked. "But it seriously makes me wonder why you're so different. That's why I came over to your house yesterday- to find out some answers."

"Okay," I replied, nodding as I began to understand. "You know, Alice mentioned earlier something about seeing me in some of her visions. What was I doing?"

"I don't really know," he said, suddenly focusing a lot more on the road in front of him.

"But you read minds! Shouldn't you be able to tell what they were about?"

"Yeah, but they're not important."

"But she said I would be close to your family soon. What did she mean by that?" He turned on the radio instead of answering my question. I wanted to ask him again, but it was obvious that he wasn't going to answer anytime soon. Then I realized what song was playing.

"Clair de Lune. I love this song," I told him, causing him to snap his head around to look at me.

"You like classical music?" he asked.

"Whoa! Eyes on the road, Edward! You're going to get us killed! Or me, at least. I guess you can't be killed."

He chuckled. "Trust me, we'll be fine." He sped up so that he was going over a hundred miles an hour. I gripped my seatbelt tightly and held on, but decided not to complain. Edward seemed to do things his own way and I doubted he would slow down just because I asked. Before I knew it, we were in front of my house.

"Wow," I muttered. "That was fast."

"All of us drive like that," he told me. "I guess it just comes with being immortal. You'll get used to it."

I nodded. Then the meaning of his words hit me- was he saying that we would start hanging out? I was about to ask, but he was already talking.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," he said. I realized that that was the first time I had heard him say my name- not Isabella, but Bella. A strange feeling crept through me, but I pushed it down before I could figure out what it was.

"Okay," I said as I reached for the door handle, but he was already outside opening it for me. Wow. He'd gone from a complete jerk that had been glaring and ignoring me to a gentleman all in one day. Interesting.

"Thanks," I muttered as I got out. "Goodnight, Edward." I faintly heard him say 'goodnight' behind me as I walked up the porch and went inside. Charlie had fallen asleep on the couch watching a baseball game and I turned the TV off before walking upstairs. As soon as I got to my room, I sighed and collapsed on my bed. What a strange day it had been.

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So, what do you think? Should I bore you with details of how Edward and Bella take their time to get together or just hurry up so she can turn into a wolf already? Review and let me know! Thanks! :D


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